Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News
Domain Name Industry News
1 Comment
ICANN gives registrar mini-extension while it awaits Ombud’s determination.
ICANN has delayed fully renewing the accreditation agreement for TAG-Domains after one of the registrar’s leaders made antisemitic remarks.
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, a leader in the intellectual property community in the Middle East, said in a TV interview:
The Jews do not have any ideology. All they care about is money and interests. I had a friend who was a German cabinet member. I once asked him: ‘When Hitler, may God forgive him, carried out the Holocaust, why didn’t he finish the job and kill all the Jews?’ He said to me: ‘It’s the other way around, but don’t tell anyone I said this. He left a group of them on purpose, so that people would know why we carried out the Holocaust. When you would be tormented by them, you would know the reason.
Abu-Ghazaleh is also affiliated with a UDRP provider and a group that hosts an instance of ICANN’s L Root in Jordan.
ICANN has referred the matter to its Ombuds, stating that this violates ICANN’s Expected Standards of Behavior.
In a letter to TAG-Domains, ICANN noted that the group’s accreditation is set to renew on January 16. Rather than renewing it for a full term, ICANN is renewing it for three months to allow for the conclusion of the Ombuds investigation.
While many people find Abu-Ghazaleh’s comments abhorrent, some in the ICANN community are privately questioning the extension of ICANN’s Expected Standards of Behavior to speech made outside of any connection to ICANN and the domain name community.
This particular case puts ICANN in a precarious position. Abu-Ghazaleh commented in the heat of a war between Israel, which has generally been backed by the United States, where ICANN is based, and someone in a region that has often opposed the establishment of Isreal.
ICANN seems to understand this to a degree and has alluded to free speech considerations.
It’s possible that an apology from Abu-Ghazaleh would resolve the matter, but I’m not sure that one is forthcoming.
One thing’s certain: ICANN’s interim Ombuds has her hands full.
Categories: Uncategorized
Andrew Allemann has been registering domains for over 25 years and publishing Domain Name Wire since 2005. He has been quoted about his expertise in domain names by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and NPR. Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn – Twitter/X – Facebook
Stay up-to-date with the latest analysis and news about the domain name industry by joining our mailing list.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
says
Oh dear… ICANN – another zionist infiltrated organisation.
People might want to research Israeli politician Shulamit Aloni saying (about anti-semitism): “Well, it’s a trick, we always use it. When from Europe somebody is criticising Israel, then we bring up the Holocaust. When in this country [the US] people are criticising Israel, then they are antisemitic.”
This kind of rubbish has no place anywhere, not in sports, domain names, anywhere.
This is having the reverse effect – it is free advertising for TAG-domains.
Domain Name Wire is a trade publication for the domain name industry covering topics relevant to domain investors, brand owners, policy makers, domain registrars and registries, and more. Founded in 2005, Domain Name Wire has been cited by Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, and Washington Post. Read More About DNW
Stay up-to-date with the latest analysis and news about the domain name industry by joining our mailing list.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
© 2005–2022 Domain Name Wire · DNW and Domain Name Wire are trademarks of Brainstorm Labs, LLC
About The Author
More Stories
From Commitments to Practice: Internet Society’s Priorities for WSIS+20 Implementation
Final Results of the 2026 Internet Society Board of Trustees Elections and IETF Selections
Community Snapshot—March